Doing research with lonely people

Wendy Booth

British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26(4), 1998, pp. 132-134.

Eleven years ago Wendy Booth was involved in a research study that looked at the effects of relocating people with learning difficulties from long-stay institutions into less restrictive accommodation. She became friends with one of the women who was moving and they still see each other often.

Two subsequent research studies have also left a legacy of people who phone or write to her on a regular basis. This paper addresses the ethical implications of including lonely people as partners in research.